Where the autistic rights movement IS the news!
For three years, I worked as a direct support professional, or DSP, for autistic teenagers with higher support needs in group homes. They were sent there for violent offenses committed in the community. I recall my times there so others have an idea of how group homes operate and the impact it can have on …
Content Warning: Ableism, exploitation, violence The autism spectrum is incredibly vast, with each person displaying a distinct number of traits where no two are alike. It can be hard to put any group of autistics in a box, as there are some who can’t bathe themselves but can remember every fact about the solar …
Since Temple Grandin made headlines in the 1980s as the first openly autistic adult to be recognized in the media, many autistics have made memoirs about their personal experiences since her heyday. However, most just cover one perspective of autism but don’t highlight the rest of the spectrum. We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation by Eric …
Content Warning: Ableism, eugenics, pro-cure propaganda The view of autism as a negative condition by society is not a new phenomenon. From the founder of ABA saying autistics are “not people in the psychological sense” to Autism Speaks calling it an “epidemic,” the Neurodiversity Movement has been utilized by the marginalized group to challenge …
CW: Autism Speaks, ableism, violence Every year in A pril, an international tradition is celebrated that autistic people dread, and that’s Autism Awareness Month. In response, autistic people created Autism Acceptance Month, as acceptance promotes action, while awareness is passive. Autism Awareness Month was created by the Autism Society of America (ASA) in 1970 and …
The legal act of someone being in control of another person’s daily life or finances, or conservatorship (also called guardianship) is not a new phenomenon. Conservatorship is appointed by a judge when a person is considered incapacitated or incapable of handling their life or finances without assistance. In a recent episode of The New York …
Trigger Warning: Filicide, ableism It’s safe to say that the idea of murdering a child or loved one is a universally evil act. However, when it’s a disabled person who is murdered, the media tends to center the murderer as justified in their actions. They’ll use excuses like the victim being “difficult to care …
Trigger Warning: Restraint, ableism, racism With Sia’s directorial debut Music having been theatrically released on February 12, one thing is certain: the film is an absolute train wreck. Autistic activists’ anger is justified, as it sensationalizes dangerous actions such as restraints, but it also makes the title character’s life look easy. Right from the …
Self-advocates and organizations like the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) are leading the charge in ending the barbaric practice which is sub-minimum wage. Simply put, sub-minimum wage is a payment that is less than minimum wage. The practice was enacted in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) intended for wounded veterans returning …
Autism Speaks has certainly changed in the past year, at least superficially. They created an advertisement called, “The New Autism Speaks,” wherein they introduced 2020 as the “Year of kindness.” The irony notwithstanding, it begs the question— why did it take them 15 years to come up with that? For years, autistic people have objected …